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The Sahel is named after the Arabic word "sahel," which means "shore" and "coast," because of its vegetation that is similar to what would be normally found on a shoreline. The area varies in size as it travels from east to west. In some places, the Sahel is several hundred kilometers in width; in others it is up to a thousand kilometers wide (620 miles). The rainfall for the area is just as varied as its size. The northern region receive as little as 4 inches of rainfall per year while the southern region receives around 24 inches per year.